console clients for I C Q

[Charles Hallenbeck]

Hi people,

I am not a heavy I C Q user, but I have tried to keep my client
software current. I have 'micq' and 'centericq' installed here,
and both are now in trouble due to recent upgrades in the I C Q
protocol on the Mirabilis servers. They have introduced
incompatibilities with earlier protocols that oblige their
Windows users to upgrade their Windows clients, and that is
threatening to leave micq and centericq users in the dust. The
developers of the Linux clients might or might not be able to
regain functionality very soon.

I have just downloaded and installed another Linux I C Q client,
'licq', and would like to recommend that people who use I C Q
obtain a copy to play with. It is a very sophisticated client and
seems to be extremely well designed. The user interface is a
plugin, and the package comes with two user interfaces: a GUI and
a console interface. The console interface seems to be
accessible, although I am still trying to figure out how to use
it effectively. My first impression is that it is not as
accessible as micq, resembling centericq more closely, although
it is much more sophisticated.

It is also a bit trickier to install. I am running Slackware 8.0
with kernel 2.2.19 and had no problems with the installation.
However, the main program and each of the two interfaces must be
configured, compiled, and installed separately. It seems like the
GUI interface plugin must be compiled and installed even if you
do not intend to use it; the console interface plugin can be
selected right from the get go, but both interfaces must be
compiled and installed. It uses openssl by default for secure
connections, it uses .wav files to signal events such as incoming
messages and such, and lets you specify whether to send a message
direct or via server. There is a perl script to convert your micq
contact list to the licq format. The developers maintain a cvs
system in addition to the generic cource archive and packages for
RH and Debian distros.

If you feel bold and want to push the limits, visit:

http://www.licq.org

The current version is 1.0.3, although the console interface
plugin is only 1.0.2. I expect if the developers know that people
want to use the console interface, it will continue to receive
their attention.

Chuck




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